Green Space, Red Lines: Colors of Environmental Racism in San Francisco
by Olivia Johnson
In a city that seems to have a 10 p.m. curfew, it’s imperative that residents are offered a plethora of fun, sun-soaked activities to partake in during those weekend hours when Silicon Valley commuters take time to get off their laptops and return to the urban world. San Francisco is known for its vibrant street art, preserved Victorian row houses, sweeping ocean views, and distinctly hipster vibes. In one local’s opinion, it’s the greatest city in the American west (I’m looking at you, smog-filled skies of Los Angeles). But what I think makes it a great city is actually what most residents tend to loathe about it: its unique topography. The steep hills and rolling terrain provide not only panoramic vistas of the Salesforce skyscrapers and salty Pacific, but also prime real estate for one of the most essential components of cities—green spaces.
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As climate change persists, urban green spaces are becoming increasingly crucial to building resilient cities. Aside from serving as havens of greenery amidst concrete landscapes, they offer a buffer against extreme weather events like heat waves and flooding. Furthermore, green spaces play a vital role in providing essential mental and physical health benefits to residents. According to the National Parks and Recreation Association, people living more than one kilometer away from a green space are 50% more likely to experience stress than those living 300 meters or less away from a park. Having proximity and open access to nature not only reduces stress levels, but can ameliorate more severe mental and physical struggles as well. Diagnosed depression rates are 33% higher in the residential areas of the United States with the fewest green spaces compared to neighborhoods with the most. Furthermore, use of green spaces is associated with improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as decreased health complaints. Whether it be represented in the clean air of green spaces or the primal sense of returning to nature they evoke, it’s clear these areas foster a profound sense of connection between us and the environment; they offer a respite from the banality of urban life. But while San Francisco boasts one of the best public park and greenery systems in the country, this categorization is not one-size-fits-all.
Figure 1: Drawn sometime between 1935 and 1940, this map shows the way residential zones were categorized into different tiers, based on racial and economic backgrounds of residents. Green areas are “first grade,” blue areas are “second grade,” yellow areas are “third grade,” and red areas are “fourth grade.” Source: University of Richmond, “Mapping Inequality”
In the northeastern corners of my beloved hometown, a tale of two cities is being written: that of redlined District 3—specifically the Tenderloin neighborhood—and that of green district A5, comprising the Pacific Heights residential zone. The infamous Tenderloin is notorious for its high crime rates and ever-growing homeless population, but when you look more closely, you see such systemic issues are a byproduct of redlining. Redlining, as defined by Cornell Law School, is a discriminatory practice that denies services like “mortgages, insurance loans, and other financial services to residents of certain areas, based on their race or ethnicity.” Though the practice of redlining was outlawed in 1968, its effects reverberate in these areas today.
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The white population in the Tenderloin is 12.1% lower than San Francisco’s total white population, while the Hispanic population is 9.3% higher, and the black population is 4.9% higher. But where ethnic minorities are overrepresented, green space seems to be absent. Of the four parks in the neighborhood—Macaulay Park, Boeddeker Park, Turk-Hyde Park, and Safe Passage Park—only one has greenery aside from a turf lawn. Though the Golden Gate Greenway, founded in 2020, provides a public green space with ongoing play streets and community-building activities, it is set to close in 2025. In contrast, Pacific Heights is 30.7% whiter than San Francisco’s overall population, while its Hispanic population is 8.7% lower and its black population is 3.9% lower. The dichotomization of these neighborhoods—less than two miles apart—deepens when you examine green space access in Pacific Heights. Alta Plaza Park, for example, offers skyline views and a path lined with palm trees. The 11.5 acre, four block-long Lafayette Park is one of the densest urban areas in the city, home to 25 different flower species and 80 bird species. Based on San Francisco’s history of state-sponsored segregation, it tracks that the white, wealthy residents of Pacific Heights continue to benefit from the city’s most expansive and well-maintained parks, further perpetuating the divides between privileged and marginalized communities mere miles apart.​
Figure 2: Panorama of Lafayette Park in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood. Source: Jeff Peters, Friends of Lafayette Park.
Though we often imagine redlining as primarily shaping the racial background of a community, it’s imperative to also consider how this system limited the development of public infrastructure, like green spaces, in historically marginalized areas like the Tenderloin. The absence of green space in District 3, compounded by high rates of crime and poverty, creates a cycle that further isolates and disenfranchises its residents. Conversely, in areas like Pacific Heights, greater access to financial resources resulted in the prioritization of green spaces as recreational amenities. Thus, residents in these communities experience direct benefits to their psychological and physical health. When looking at these neighborhoods, it’s key that we analyze their differences not just as a matter of aesthetics, but as a social justice issue. The battle for more green spaces in underserved neighborhoods like the Tenderloin is not just about beautifying the urban landscape, but about ensuring that all residents—regardless of race and socioeconomic status—have equal access to the benefits that nature provides.
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